The demand for wireless networking capability continues to increase with the proliferation of wireless network enabled consumer electronics. Even stationary devices that traditionally used to be tethered to wired network connections, such as printers, backup hard drives, and the like, now often include wireless network interface devices to allow for fast and flexible wireless installation in all types of wireless networking environments. In addition, the inclusion of wireless network interface devices in mobile computing devices, such smartphones, laptops, and tablets, allow for increased freedom and productivity. Mobile device users have come to expect to be able to quickly and easily access personal and public information wherever a wireless network connection is available.
To help their customers take advantage of the widespread deployment of wireless network capable devices, some high speed data service providers, such as cable internet service providers, now offer data access devices (e.g., cable modems) with integrated wireless network capabilities. For example, when a consumer orders a new High Speed Data (HSD) service, the service provider will deploy a data access device, such as a gateway (GW), a media gateway (MG), a cable modem (CM) or the like, with built-in wireless network capability. Such wireless network enabled devices, with and without high speed data access capabilities, are commonly referred to as wireless access points (WAPs).
To ensure quality of service to the consumer, a service provider must be prepared to support the use of WAPs. Quite often, newly deployed WAPs are installed in complicated wireless environments with congested frequency bands, physical barriers, and high expectations for the WAP to reliably provide service to many different types of devices. This presents challenges to the service provider at installation time and on an on-going basis throughout the of service life of the WAP to deliver consistently high quality of service.
At installation time, the service provider and the consumer would like to have some degree of confidence that the wireless network performance is acceptable before the installer moves to the next install. In the case of consumer self-installation, consumers and service providers alike would like to have a degree of confidence that the installation was completed at least correctly, if not optimally.
After installation, the wireless network environment supported by the WAP can change day-to-day and even hour-to-hour as wireless network devices (e.g., smartphones, tablet computer, laptop computer, etc.) enter and leave the physical location in which the WAP is located. While other devices, such as printers or set top boxes (STBs), may not physically move very often, the radio frequency (RF) environments in which the WAP is installed can change due to external influences. For example, electric motors, microwave ovens, and other electronic devices can cause significant interference on one more wireless network frequency bands. Also, the rearrangement of a physical object, such as furniture or equipment, relative to the WAP can also influence the wireless network environment. As such, there are numerous unpredictable factors that can cause the performance of a wireless network established by a particular WAP to vary.